Image processing method for boundary resolution enhancement

ABSTRACT

An image processing method for boundary resolution enhancement is disclosed. Firstly, an image is transferred into an image layer. Noise of the image layer is removed by a bilateral filter and crisp edges are retained at the same time. Moreover, the image layer is interpolated by an interpolation filter for resolution enhancement. The image processing method of the present invention can lower the image blur degree substantially, enhance the image resolution and be widely implemented in all sorts of image/video processing hardware devices.

CROSS-REFERENCED TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/748,058, filed Mar. 26, 2010, U.S. Pat. No. 8,335,394, issued Dec.18, 2012, which claims foreign priority benefits under 35 U.S.C. §119 toTaiwan patent application serial number 099102602, filed Jan. 29, 2010.Each of the aforementioned related patent applications is hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an image processing method, and inparticular to an image process method for boundary resolutionenhancement which can suitable to implement in many kinds of motherboards, display cards or image processing device.

2. Description of the Related Art

Owing to the continuous development of display technology, the displayscreens with the old style of cathode ray tubes are gradually replacedby the flat display panels which are Liquid Crystal or Plasma. Most ofthese display devices have High Definition (HD) resolution (1920^(x)1080p), but the resolution of some video formats especially for the oldbroadcasting programs belongs to Standard Definition (SD) lower thanHigh Definition resolution. Therefore, in order to maintain the displayperformance when the video format with Standard Definition resolution isinputted on the display device with High Definition resolution, theproblem of fitting the video format for the display device has to besolved. Video upsampling method and super resolution method can beutilized to input the low resolution video format on the high definitiondevices. However, compared to image/video resolution up-conversionfilter based methods, the super resolution method is so complicated thatit requires plenty of hardware computation support than. For thisreason, the most display products prefer to adopt the image/videoresolution up-conversion filter based method because of low computationburden.

The image/video resolution up-conversion filter based method is capableof supporting the processing of image edges texture artifacts, andnoise. The existed image/video resolution up-conversion methods compriselinear methods and non-linear methods. One of the linear methods is abilinear interpolation method. It has low cost and reducing artifact andblurring degree of an image so the most graphic cards have integratedthe bilinear interpolation into the chipset. However, the bilinearinterpolation method still has strong overshoot issues on edges andboundaries, and the artifact cannot be totally removed. The non-linearmethods effectively overcome the shortcomings of the linear method butthe fine details are still blurring.

In the view of these above mentioned shortcomings in the prior arts, thepresent invention provides an image processing method for boundaryresolution enhancement to transfer the low resolution image into a highresolution one for displaying on high resolution devices. The complexityof the present invention is low enough to implement it in all kinds ofdisplay devices and image/video processing hardware devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the present invention is to disclose an image processingmethod for boundary resolution enhancement which is capable ofsubstantially decreasing trickle noise, and overshoot and artifactcompression issues for reducing image blurring degree and enhancingimage resolution.

Further, the complexity of the image processing method of the presentinvention is so low that the computation is not heavy and the presentinvention has great practicability because it can be implemented incentral processing units, image processing chips, mother boards, displaycards and digital image processing units.

To achieve the abovementioned objectives, the present inventiondiscloses an image processing method for boundary resolution enhancementwhich comprises steps: transferring an image into an image layer;smoothly removing trickle noise which is small illuminance variation ofthe image layer and retain boundaries which is large illuminancevariation to generate a resolution image layer by a bilateral filter;dividing each pixel of the resolution image layer by using datadependent triangulation, wherein each pixel has a diagonal line, theresolution image layer is divided into a plurality of horizontal blocksand vertical blocks, the resolution image layer is divided into aplurality of horizontal pixel fields and vertical pixel fields which arebased on the diagonal lines, the horizontal pixel fields and thevertical pixel fields are formed through a gradient process executed bya sharpness filter for removing unbalance boundaries of the resolutionimage layer and generating a sharpened image layer; and center pixelpoints of the horizontal and vertical pixel fields and opponent pixelpoints relative to the center pixel points are interpolated by aninterpolation filter using interpolation pixels so that a highresolution image layer is generated.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary, and are intended toprovide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flow chart for enhancing image boundary resolution accordingto the present invention;

FIG. 2( a) is a diagram for pixels divided by Data DependentTriangulation according to the present invention;

FIG. 2( b) is a diagram for a resolution image divided by Data DependentTriangulation according to the present invention;

FIG. 3( a) is a diagram that the resolution image is divided intohorizontal blocks and horizontal pixel fields are formed; and

FIG. 3( b) is a diagram that the resolution image is divided intovertical blocks and vertical pixel fields are formed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an image processing method for boundaryresolution enhancement, which utilizes a bilateral filter to removetrickle noise of an image layer, and to retain crisp edges of the imagelayer. Then, a sharpness filter performs a gradient analysis of theimage layer to reduce artifacts resulting in unbalance boundaries and toenhance texture and edge details. Finally, an interpolation filter isused to interpolate the image layer for increasing the image resolution.The characteristic technology of the present invention is described inthe following preferred embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart of the image processing method for boundaryresolution enhancement according to the present invention. Firstly, inStep S10, an image is transferred into an image layer which is RGBformat, YUV format, or CIE-Lab format.

Next, in Step S12, blurring effect of the image layer is computed. Inlight of the result of the blurring effect, the computing complexitywhich the image layer is filtered by the bilateral filter is predictedto determine the load of the hardware. When the hardware cannot affordthe computing complexity, as shown in Step S16, the noise of the imagelayer is removed by an Inverted Intensity Gaussian Bilateral Filter (IIGBilateral Filter) to generate a resolution image layer. Because somemother boards integrated with a video card or a hardware device cannotafford the complex calculation of the image layer processed by thebilateral filter, a Gaussian blurring filter will be adapted to filterthe image layer so that the computing complexity of filtering can bereduced.

Then, in Step S18, use a sharpness filter to perform a gradient analysisof the resolution image layer, remove unbalance boundaries generatingovershoot issues in the resolution image layer, and enhance the textureand edges details of the resolution image layer so as to generate asharpened image layer.

Subsequently, in Step S20, the method continues with using aninterpolation filter to interpolate the sharpened image layer. A highresolution image layer is subsequently generated.

Finally, in Step S22, the high resolution image layer, which is formedfrom the resolution image processed through the filtering, thesharpening, and the interpolating procedures, is transferred back to theoriginal format of the image such that the high resolution image layerafter transferred can be displayed with high definition resolution ondisplay devices.

The above mentioned disclosure is the procedures of the image processingmethod according to the present invention. In the following, the filterdesign of the Inverted Intensity Gaussian Bilateral Filter and thedetail illustration how the image layer is performed gradient analysisby the sharpness filter and how the image layer is interpolated by theinterpolation filter will be described in detail.

The inverted intensity Gaussian bilateral filter comprises a horizontalInvert Intensity Gaussian Bilateral Filter and a vertical InvertIntensity Gaussian Bilateral Filter. The image layer is filteredhorizontally by the horizontal Invert Intensity Gaussian BilateralFilter, and then it is filtered vertically by the vertical InvertIntensity Gaussian Bilateral Filter, such that the noise of the imagelayer can be removed and the resolution image layer can be generatedfrom the image layer. In order to eliminate the trickle noise andcompression artifacts of the image layer effectively and at the sametime maintain crisp edges. The design of the Invert Intensity GaussianBilateral Filter is shown in derived as the following equations:

$\begin{matrix}{{B(c)} = \frac{\int{{I(a)}{g( {{I(a)},{I(c)}} )}{f( {{p(a)},{p(c)}} )}}}{\int{{g( {{I(a)},{I(c)}} )}{f( {{p(a)},{p(c)}} )}}}} & (1) \\{{g( {{I(a)} - {I(c)}} )} = {C - {\mathbb{e}}^{{- \frac{1}{2}}{(\frac{D{({{I{(a)}},{I{(c)}}})}}{\sigma_{r}})}^{2}}}} & (2) \\{{f( {{I(a)} - {I(c)}} )} = {\mathbb{e}}^{{- \frac{1}{2}}{(\frac{D{({{P{(a)}},{P{(c)}}})}}{\sigma_{r}})}^{2}}} & (3) \\{{B(c)} = \frac{\int{{I(a)}( {C - {\mathbb{e}}^{{- \frac{1}{2}}{(\frac{D{({{I{(a)}},{I{(c)}}})}}{\sigma_{r}})}^{2}}} ){\mathbb{e}}^{{- \frac{1}{2}}{(\frac{D{({{P{(a)}},{P{(c)}}})}}{\sigma_{r}})}^{2}}}}{\int{( {C - {\mathbb{e}}^{{- \frac{1}{2}}{(\frac{D{({{I{(a)}},{I{(c)}}})}}{\sigma_{r}})}^{2}}} ){\mathbb{e}}^{{- \frac{1}{2}}{(\frac{D{({{P{(a)}},{P{(c)}}})}}{\sigma_{r}})}^{2}}}}} & (4)\end{matrix}$

whereas B(.) is a pixel's intensity value, c is a pixel, a is a neighborpixel of c, I(.) returns a pixel's intensity value of the CIE-LAB colorspace or RGB space, P(.) returns the position of a pixel, ƒ(.) is aspatial filtering function and g(.) is an intensity filtering function,D(.) is a distance function, and c is a constant.

The above mentioned Equation (1) indicates the enhancement of intensityvalue of a pixel (c) can be obtained by integrating intensity domain andspatial domain of a pixel (c) itself and intensity domain and spatialdomain of a neighbor pixel (a). The invert intensity Gaussian bilateralfilter filters the image layer repeatedly until the intensity variationis lower than a filtering threshold or reaches zero. Equation (2) andEquation (3) represent an intensity domain variation curve of theintensity value of a reflect pixel (a) and a reflect neighbor pixel (c),and a spatial domain variation curve of the intensity value of thereflected pixel (a) and intensity value of the reflected adjacent pixel(c). Wherein, the distance function D(.) can be an Euclidean distancefunction, C can be set 0.004 for eight bit depth video. Equation (2) andEquation (3) are substituted into Equation (1) to generate Equation (4)which means the spatial domain and the intensity domain of the pixelsare simultaneously processed with a Gaussian blurred algorithm in theimage layer. The noise of small illsuminance variation is smoothlyremoved from the image layer and the edge of large illsuminancevariation is retained in it. Subsequently, the resolution image layer isgenerated.

In those descriptions described above, the related equations derivationsof the Invert Intensity Gaussian Bilateral Filter design are explained.The gradient analysis and interpolation procedures are further describedin the following.

Refer to FIGS. 2( a) and 2(b). In the first procedure, the gradientanalysis of the resolution image layer is performed by the sharpnessfilter, the pixels of the resolution image layer are divided byutilizing Data Dependent Triangulation (DDT) to provide each pixel witha diagonal line. Each pixel 12 of the resolution image layer 10 isrepresented by four points a, b, c, d. If the absolute value ofsubtracting point a from point c smaller than that of subtracting pointb from point d^((if |a-c|<|b-d|)) a diagonal line 14 will be generatedfrom point a to point c; if the absolute value of subtracting point afrom point c larger than that of subtracting point b from pointd^((if |a-c|<|b-d|)), another diagonal line 14 from b to d will begenerated from point b to point d.

Then, refer to FIG. 3( a). The resolution image layer 10 is divided intoa plurality of 2×2 horizontal blocks and a plurality of horizontal pixelfields 22 are formed along the diagonal line 14, so that the 2×2horizontal pixel fields 20 become 2×3 horizontal blocks 20 and each ofhorizontal pixel fields 22 has a center pixel point P0 and an opponentpixel point P2 relative to the center pixel point P0. Because of thedifferent slopes of the diagonal lines 14, the shapes of the horizontalpixel fields 22 based on the diagonal lines 14 are different. If the twoadjacent diagonal lines 14 have an intersecting point, the shape of thehorizontal pixel field is a triangle. If the two adjacent diagonal lines14 are parallel to each other, the shape of the horizontal pixel fieldsis a quadrilateral shape. After creating the horizontal pixel fields 22,a gradient horizontal analysis are performed in the horizontal pixelfields 22 by a high pass sharpened filter.

Subsequently, referring to FIG. 3( b), the resolution image layer thatthe sharpened filter has already performed the gradient horizontalanalysis is divided into a plurality of 2×2 vertical blocks 30 and aplurality of vertical pixel fields 32 are formed through utilizing thediagonal lines 14, such that the 2×2 vertical blocks 30 becomes 3×2vertical blocks 30. After forming the vertical pixel fields 32, avertical gradient analysis is performed in the vertical pixel fields 32.Otherwise, each of the vertical pixel fields 32, similar to the case ofeach of the horizontal pixel fields 22, also has a center pixel point P0and a relative pixel point P2, and the vertical pixel fields is in atriangular or quadrilateral shape based on the different slopes of thediagonal lines.

After the horizontal and vertical gradient analyses of the resolutionimage layer 10 is performed to decrease the unbalance boundary and thento generate a sharpened image layer, the sharpened image layer isinterpolated by an interpolation filter for raising the resolution. Theinterpolation filter computes the center pixel points P0 and therelative pixel points P2 in the horizontal pixel fields 22 and thevertical pixel fields 30 to interpolate the pixels and then to generatea high resolution image layer.

Through the above mentioned embodiment of the present invention, animage layer transferred from an image is processed through the imageprocess procedures, such as a filter process, a gradient analysis and aresolution enhancement so as to enhance the image boundaries resolutionand lower the image blurring degree image. Also, the computingcomplexity in the present invention is so low that it can be popular inmany kinds of image processing device.

Those described above are only the preferred embodiments to clarify thetechnical contents and characteristic of the present invention inenabling the persons skilled in the art to understand, make and use thepresent invention. However, they are not intended to limit the scope ofthe present invention. Any modification and variation according to thespirit of the present invention can also be included within the scope ofthe claims of the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An image processing method for boundaryresolution enhancement, the method comprising: transferring an imageinto an image layer; applying a bilateral filter to the image layer togenerate a resolution image layer; applying a sharpness filter to theresolution image layer to remove at least one unbalance boundary of theresolution image layer and to generate a sharpened image layer; andgenerating a high resolution image layer by interpolating the sharpenedimage layer using an interpolation filter.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein applying the bilateral filter removes noise from the imagelayer.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the bilateral filter is anInverted Intensity Gaussian Bilateral Filter (IIG bilateral filter). 4.The method of claim 1, further comprising: transferring a format of thehigh resolution image layer into an original format of the image.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the image layer transferred from the imagecomprises an RGB format, an YUV format, or a CIE-Lab format.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the step of applying the sharpness filter tothe resolution image layer includes dividing pixels of the resolutionlayer by Data Dependent Triangulation and wherein each of the pixels hasa diagonal line.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the resolution imagelayer is divided into a plurality of horizontal blocks; a horizontalpixel field is formed along the diagonal lines in each of the horizontalblocks; and the horizontal pixel field is generated by the applicationof the sharpness filter.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein theinterpolation filter computes center pixels in the horizontal pixelfields and opponent pixels relative to the center pixels to generateinterpolated pixels for interpolating the sharpened image layer usingthe interpolation filter.
 9. The method of claim 6, wherein theresolution image layer is divided into a plurality of vertical blocks; avertical pixel field is formed along the diagonal lines in each of thevertical blocks; and the vertical pixel field is generated by thesharpness filter.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the interpolationcomputes center pixels in the vertical pixel fields and opponent pixelsrelative to the center pixels to generate interpolated pixels forinterpolating the sharpened image layer using the interpolation filter.11. The method of claim 1, wherein the sharpness filter is a high passsharpness filter.
 12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage mediumstoring instructions, which, when executed on a processor, performs anoperation for boundary resolution enhancement, the operation comprising:transferring an image into an image layer; removing noise of the imagelayer by using a bilateral filter to the image layer to generate aresolution image layer; and performing a gradient analysis of theresolution image layer by using a sharpness filter to remove at leastone unbalance boundary of the resolution image layer and then togenerate a sharpened image layer, and interpolating the sharpened imagelayer by using an interpolation filter to generate a high resolutionimage layer.
 13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12,wherein the operation further comprises: transferring a format of thehigh resolution image layer into an original format of the image. 14.The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the bilateralfilter is an Inverted Intensity Gaussian Bilateral Filter (IIG bilateralfilter).
 15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, whereinimage layer transferred from the image comprises an RGB format, an YUVformat or a CIE-Lab format.
 16. The computer-readable storage medium ofclaim 12, wherein in the step of sharpening the resolution layer by thesharpness filter, pixels of the resolution layer are divided by DataDependent Triangulation and each of the pixels has a diagonal line. 17.A system, comprising: a processor; and a memory hosting an application,which, when executed on the processor, performs an operation forboundary resolution enhancement, the operation comprising: transferringan image into an image layer, removing noise of the image layer by usinga bilateral filter to the image layer to generate a resolution imagelayer, and performing a gradient analysis of the resolution image layerby using a sharpness filter to remove at least one unbalance boundary ofthe resolution image layer and then to generate a sharpened image layer,and interpolating the sharpened image layer by using an interpolationfilter to generate a high resolution image layer.
 18. The system ofclaim 17, wherein the operation further comprises: transferring a formatof the high resolution image layer into an original format of the image.19. The system of claim 17, wherein the bilateral filter is an InvertedIntensity Gaussian Bilateral Filter (IIG bilateral filter).
 20. Thesystem of claim 17, wherein image layer transferred from the imagecomprises an RGB format, an YUV format or a CIE-Lab format.
 21. Thesystem of claim 17, wherein in the step of sharpening the resolutionlayer by the sharpness filter, pixels of the resolution layer aredivided by Data Dependent Triangulation and each of the pixels has adiagonal line.